Mail-Order Marriages

by Jillian Hart

  “She has no reason to go anywhere with you, Rogers,” he said harshly.

  “You have nothing to do with this conversation,” Amos said, his manner haughty, his face contorted.

  Lucas turned to face him and his hands fisted at his sides. “When you’re speaking to my wife, I have every reason, sir. She’s not going anywhere with you. If she wants to make a trip to Boston or New York City or anyplace else in the country, she’ll go with me and her new sons. I hope that’s clear to you, for I won’t repeat it.”

  “I’ll go back to town and give you a day to think this over, Elizabeth,” Amos said, backing from the angry man who faced him.

  Without ceremony he climbed into the buggy and issued words of command to Ivan, who grinned at Lucas and turned his rig around in the yard, heading down the lane.

  Lucas hugged Elizabeth close, uncaring of who might be watching, for he felt a great need to comfort her. In moments he was joined by Toby, who ran to their side and flung his own arm around Elizabeth, and then Josh, who trotted from the barn to make it a family matter. They stood together on the porch, Elizabeth holding back her tears with difficulty, but Lucas cared little for appearances, for he only held her tighter and patted her back.

  “If you need to cry, sweetheart, go right ahead. You have every right.”

  She shook her head, reached into her apron pocket for a handkerchief and wiped her eyes and nose with it. “I’m all right now. It just made me so angry to have him show up here and demand anything of me, let alone tell me I should run off with him. The dirty, no-good—”

  “Never mind,” Lucas said, cutting her off in midstream, lest she speak words that she would later regret. The boys were avid listeners and should she use language not proper for a lady, she would regret it immediately if the boys heard such things coming from her mouth.

  Lucas led her without protest into the kitchen. He sat her down at the table and pulled the teakettle to the hottest spot on the stove, then found the flowered teapot in the kitchen dresser and put a good measure of her tea inside, to await the kettle boiling.

  He found her a cup and spoon, and in between each task he stopped by her side to bend and whisper in her ear—nonsense words, but phrases interspersed that were meant for her comfort.

  When the water boiled, he poured a good measure into the teapot, waited a moment till it should steep, then filled a cup with the savory drink and placed it before her, offering the sugar bowl for her use. “Do you want milk in it, sweet?” he asked, and when she shook her head, he sat down beside her.

  “Don’t worry about a thing. I’ll take care of you,” he told her, and she lifted swollen eyes to him, trying to smile through the tears that fell without ceasing. “You need to be in bed. I fear you’ll be ill if you have any more upsets today.”

  “I won’t argue with you, Lucas,” she told him, leaning heavily on his arm as he led her from the kitchen.

  “I’ll take you upstairs and then see about carrying the milk to the milk house and skimming the cream from this morning. I haven’t slopped the hogs yet, so I’ll tend to that before I come back in and see how you’re doing, sweet.”

  He led her up the stairs, and behind him he heard Toby speak softly to his brother. “I’ll bet we won’t hear any more about the desert island tonight, will we?”

  Josh whispered a negative reply, shushing Toby quickly.

  Elizabeth stood before Lucas like a child, and he sought out her nightgown from behind the screen in the corner, then gently undid her dress and petticoat, stripping her clothing from her and pulling the gown over her head. He reached beneath, taking her stockings and shoes with them. His arms encircled her again and it was difficult to release her. But with a sigh and a final kiss, he lowered her onto her pillow and pulled the sheet up over her.

  “I’ll be back as soon as things are settled downstairs with the boys, and the chores are done.” She nodded and closed her eyes, seeming to escape into a state of being neither awake or asleep.

  He watched her for a long moment before he left, going down the stairs and out to the barn. The two boys followed him silently, their faces looking troubled by the events of the evening. Lucas halted in the middle of the yard and dropped one arm across each set of youthful shoulders to speak with them. He bent low, his voice soft and his words measured as he told them the details of Elizabeth’s sorrow.

  The cow had never been milked so quickly, nor the animals fed with such haste, for before twenty minutes were up the animals were in their stalls and the three of them headed back to the house. The boys understood death, he knew, for they’d lived through the loss of their mother. That Sissy should have died in a fire was a harsh fact for them to handle, but Lucas told them she’d no doubt been overcome by smoke and never knew what happened before she died. And he fervently hoped that tale was true.

  He assured them that Elizabeth was not leaving them, that she was happy to be here and had no intention of going away. They seemed to accept his words and nodded as he spoke. Then they went into the house together and Lucas locked the doors and sent the boys to their beds.

  He went up the stairs ten minutes later, only to find both of his sons by Elizabeth’s bedside, Toby sitting on the sheet next to her, Josh kneeling near her head. He went silently into the room and sent her a glance of inquiry.

  She managed to smile and lifted a hand, letting him know she wanted him to draw near.

  “We thought maybe Miss Elizabeth needed some company, Pa. I hope it’s all right that we stopped before we went to bed, so we could say good-night to her,” Josh said, his chin raised as if he felt reason to defend their choice.

  “I’m sure Elizabeth appreciates your presence, Josh. She needed someone to care about her tonight, and knowing that you both do will surely make her feel better.”

  “That’s what I thought, Pa,” Toby chimed in, not willing to be left out.

  Lucas sat on the other side of the bed and felt a moment of deep pride that his sons would be so attuned to another’s need. That they would know their presence beside her would comfort Elizabeth. He spoke quietly of his own parents’ deaths and how he’d grieved over them, then mentioned carefully how they had all felt when Doris died. During all of that, the boys simply watched him and nodded agreement with his words. Toby reached for Elizabeth’s hand and held it between his two small palms, and when Lucas sought her gaze, she smiled at him, acknowledging her thankfulness for Toby’s gesture.

  Before they left the room, just minutes later, both boys spoke to Elizabeth, soft words that assured her they would help her the next day with her work, that they were happy she was going to remain with them, and then they were excused, leaving for bed.

  “I’ll be in to see both of you in a few minutes,” Lucas told them as they scooted from the room.

  Elizabeth looked up at him. “I’ll be all right, you know. It just hit me kind of hard, to think of Sissy being in a burning house, unable to get out.”

  “I have to wonder where Amos was when all this was happening,” Lucas said, his frown dark as he considered the man who had left just a short time ago. “It sure is odd that he’d run off and leave things to your folks, instead of taking care of arrangements himself. It’s like he wanted to get his hands on you, Elizabeth. I don’t like it one bit. I fear there’s more to it than we know right now.”

  The shadows outside the bedroom windows were long, and Elizabeth was weary. It was time for sleep, Lucas decided. He looked deep into Elizabeth’s eyes, touching her forehead with his lips in a gentle caress. “I think we’d might as well go to bed, sweetheart. Morning will no doubt bring more to-do about this whole thing. In the meantime, you need some rest.”

  He went to see to the boys for a few minutes, and when he returned to Elizabeth’s side, he was ready to undress for bed. The door was closed and they were alone in the twilight. With little ceremony, he stripped off his clothing and slid beneath the sheet.

  Without any preliminaries, he reached for Elizabeth and dr
ew her against his big body, enclosing her in his embrace. Her back was tucked against his chest, her legs bent and enmeshed with his, and his arm circled her waist. Her body felt chilled and he pulled the sheet up to cover her shoulders, then again held her close.

  She seemed to soften against him, allowing herself to soak up his warmth, perhaps gaining comfort from his nearness, and he felt her relaxing into slumber. He lifted himself a bit and dropped a kiss on her throat, just beneath her ear, whispering soft words of consolation before he brushed her hair back, uncovering more of her skin to be blessed with his lips. She murmured words he could not understand, but he only patted her shoulder and held her tightly to him.

  Morning brought more news from town, for the man who handled all legal matters for the surrounding area made a visit to the farm. Horace Tennyson was a man of dignity—an educated man, a lawyer who might have made a lot more money in a large city, Lucas thought as the man’s buggy pulled up to the back of the house.

  “He’s a good fellow. He’s had his office in town for almost fifteen years or so. Knows everyone’s business, but keeps everything to himself,” he said to himself. And for Lucas, that was a high recommendation.

  Mr. Tennyson lifted himself down from his buggy and came to the back porch, where Lucas met him with an outstretched hand. “I kinda expected you out here today,” he told the visitor.

  Mr. Tennyson nodded, and when Elizabeth appeared behind the screen door he doffed his hat and stepped onto the porch. “I know you’ve already received news of your sister’s death and that of your aunt,” he said quietly. Elizabeth nodded as Lucas opened the door for the gentleman to enter the kitchen.

  “Would you like a cup of coffee?” she asked as Mr. Tennyson sat down at the kitchen table.

  “That would suit me very well, ma’am. I left town in a hurry, once I got the message from Boston. Your parents left it up to their lawyer to contact me and in turn I was asked to locate you.”

  “I doubt that was difficult, for everyone in town knows that Lucas was recently married. I think my name is probably well-known in Thomasville.” Elizabeth poured coffee for the visitor and brought it to the table.

  “I didn’t congratulate you, Lucas. I beg your pardon for neglecting such a joyous occasion. I’m sure you’ve found married life to be most agreeable.”

  “More than you know,” Lucas said quickly, smiling at Elizabeth.

  “Well, I bring news of an inheritance, Mrs. Harrison. Your aunt left you her entire estate, and it consists of a considerable sum of money, not to mention the house she was living in at the time of her death. I understand this has been an especially hard time for both you and your parents, with two deaths in as many days.”

  He drew papers from inside his coat pocket and spread them out on the table. “This is the news I was sent this morning. The wire was lengthy and I wanted you to know all the details, so I copied everything in order. It’s simple and matter-of-fact, ma’am. If you’ll sign this paper, I’ll mail it directly to the bank in Boston that’s taking care of the inheritance. On top of that I will wire the news that it will arrive forthwith. If they find it to be a good decision, they will in turn wire the money to our local banking institution for your use. I doubt if they will wait to see your signature before they take action. It seems straightforward to me, but if you’d like Lucas to look it over, I certainly have no objections.”

  Lucas stepped closer and took a seat across the table. “I think both Elizabeth and I would like to read it, sir. She is no doubt as well equipped as myself to understand the documents.”

  He motioned Elizabeth nearer and she stood by his side. “Go ahead, Lucas. You can tend to it for me. I’ll do whatever you say,” she said quietly, and if Mr. Tennyson thought she was a trusting soul, he didn’t seem to pay much mind to her words. Merely drank his coffee and smiled his thanks at his hostess.

  “It looks pretty straightforward to me. I have no trouble with Elizabeth signing on the dotted line, sir,” he said after a few moments.

  Mr. Tennyson took a pen from his pocket and unscrewed the lid, presenting it to Elizabeth with a flourish. “This is a new pen—got it from my wife for my birthday. Writes real good,” he said as Elizabeth admired the utensil in her hand. She bent over the papers and wrote her legal name where Lucas held his finger to show her the place.

  “Is that all there is to it?” she asked, straightening to stand by Lucas’s shoulder.

  “That’s it, ma’am,” Mr. Tennyson said, gathering up his papers and drinking the last of his coffee. “I’ll be on my way back to town now and get this in the mail on the afternoon stage. And then I’ll send a wire telling them it’s on its way. That should provide the impetus to release the money to you. They should have this in Boston within two or maybe three days, once it’s put on a train in St. Louis.”

  Lucas accompanied the gentleman from the house and stood by the buggy as Mr. Tennyson lifted his reins. He looked up at Elizabeth and then drew Lucas closer with an uplifted hand. “I thought it might be good to mention that there is a gentleman in town who is most interested in what’s going on out here. I understand from the folks over at the hotel that he was making a lot of queries about you and Mrs. Harrison. Seemed to be awfully interested in your place out here and especially your wife. I just thought you should know, Lucas.”

  Lucas nodded and shook Mr. Tennyson’s hand again. “I’m glad you’re aware of the man, sir. He’s Elizabeth’s brother-in-law, and the fact that he’s here is suspicious enough to warrant my doubts as to his being on the up-and-up. My thought is that he ought to be in Boston with his children. He didn’t even see his wife buried before he hustled out here, trying to coax Elizabeth back to Boston.”

  “Well, I think you can handle him all right,” the lawyer said with a smile. He lifted his reins and was gone in a few moments. Lucas came back slowly to the house, entering the kitchen to find Elizabeth at the table, her head bent, her hands clutched in her lap.

  She lifted her chin and met Lucas’s gaze. “I hate that Aunt Hildegarde died and I wasn’t even there with her. I thought she was getting stronger before I left home. And now this,” she said, her hands moving as if she could not describe her feelings.

  “I suspect that Amos Rogers knew about your aunt’s will before he came here. The man is a fortune hunter, if I have him pegged right,” Lucas said harshly.

  “If he thinks for one minute I’d go with him and leave you, he’s crazy, Lucas. I don’t care about the money, for I have all I need, but it angers me that he thought so little of Sissy that he couldn’t even be bothered to attend to business there. My folks must have been crushed to have him just drop the two children and leave all the details of a funeral to them.”

  “This isn’t over yet, Lizzie,” he said quietly. “We haven’t heard the last of the man.”

  Elizabeth sat down that afternoon and wrote a long letter to her parents, telling them of Amos Rogers’s visit and the fuss he’d caused for her. She told them she knew of her aunt’s wishes regarding her estate, and offered to pay for Sissy’s funeral and the expenses involved with caring for the children if Amos didn’t come back and take up his duties as a father. Having no idea how much money her aunt had left her, Elizabeth made no plans for it, for as she’d said, she had everything she needed.

  She sealed the letter and laid it on the table. It would stay there until they made a trip to town, where it could be put into the mailbag at the post office and then sent via the stagecoach and the train in St. Louis, back to Boston. She could only hope that Amos Rogers would buy himself a ticket for that same train and take himself out of her life.

  She went to the back porch, curious as to what Lucas and the boys were doing out in the barn, for she could hear his hammer pounding and the sound of excited voices from the pasture beyond. Deciding to find out for herself, she set off for the barn, passing by the milk house, where she peeked inside to make sure that Josh had covered the pail with a clean dish towel when he left it there thi
s morning, and then she went on to the barn.

  The sound of hammering was louder here and she heard Toby asking for the extra pieces of wood Lucas had generated with his saw. “You can have the odds and ends, Toby. What are you planning to build with them?”

  “I thought about a doghouse for Emma. She always just sleeps in the tack room, and she oughta have a house of her own, don’t you think, Pa?” the boy asked.

  “We can do that, I suspect. But let’s get this stall finished first, Toby. We’ll be getting a new horse for your brother to ride right soon, and we don’t have anyplace to put it when it gets here. Once I get this stall built and the manger for the horse to eat from, I’ll work on a doghouse with you. Will that be all right? You’ll just have to have patience, son.”

  Elizabeth entered the barn, her eyes adjusting to the dimmer light in but a few seconds. “I didn’t know that you were getting a horse for Josh,” she said.

  Lucas looked up from where he was putting boards together on the floor. “It’s a young animal, a mare not yet two years old, Elizabeth. Our neighbor told me I could have first dibs on it when it was born, and he’s ready to let it go right soon. We’ll train it ourselves to a saddle. I want Josh to begin riding a horse more suited to him. He’s been up on top of the plow horses for a couple of years but he needs a mount of his own. And then in a couple of years, we’ll breed her and hopefully have a mount for Toby when the time comes.”

  “That sounds like a splendid idea to me,” she said, aware of the excitement on Josh’s face as he heard his father’s plans.

  “I’ll have a horse, too, Miss Lizzibet,” Toby said. “Won’t that be grand?”

  Elizabeth smiled her agreement, pleased that Lucas was so in touch with his boys and their needs. Not that a horse was a necessity, but certainly they needed to know the joy of riding such an animal, and there was no better time to begin than at their young ages.

  “I rode my own horse when I was a young girl,” she told Josh.